No "True," but Liberal and Lasting Democracy?

In the article, "What Democracy Is...And Is Not," Schmitter and Karl challenge the notion that democracy is a single type of regime that can be described by a list of definitive characteristics and institutions. As discussed in lecture, many Americans in particular have developed a tendency to idealize an image of "true" democracy. Schmitter and Karl assert that no such image exists in reality, but rather that there are various forms of democracy that depend on and differ according to socioeconomic conditions, state structures, and policies. In outlining the broad ideas that characterize democracies, Schmitter and Karl discuss the case of a fairly elected majority in which there is a concern that its decisions will threaten some minority. Schmitter and Karl believe that "successful democracies" employ certain mechanisms, such as a bill of rights, to secure minority rights. This idea contrasts with the distinction between liberal and illiberal democracies in Fareed Zakaria's article, "The Rise of Illiberal Democracy." Zakaria states that liberal democracies have free and fair elections, as well as basic rights and freedoms for citizens. While Zakaria separates two broad types of democracy according to whether these basic rights and freedoms exist, Schmitter and Karl consider these same basic rights and freedoms to be a defining component of all democracies. They believe that a regime without this component is a failure of a democracy and therefore, is not a democracy. This is not necessarily true as seen by the existence of illiberal democracies in the world. 

Schmitter and Karl also discuss procedures that make democracy possible. Their two additions to Robert Dahl's list are that democracy prevails when (1) elected officials can act effectively and independently of opposition from unelected officials and (2) a system can operate autonomously within its borders, and without recognized approval of outside actors. These conditions are essential for sustaining democracy, but may be absent in a transitional democracy. Transitioning democracies generally endure a long and difficult process of change that can be relatively dramatic, depending on the nature of their original system. Whether or not a transitioning democracy will succeed in becoming a full and well-functioning democracy, of which there are various forms, depends on the establishment of the two procedures put forth by Schmitter and Karl.